The present invention relates to a clipping machine for producing sausage-shaped products, according to the preamble of independent claim 1.
In particular, the present invention relates to a clipping machine for producing sausage-shaped products, like sausages, by filing a flowable filling material into a tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing and closing said packaging casing by a closure means, like a closure clip. The clipping machine comprises a filling tube for feeding the filling material into the tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing stored on the filling tube and closed at its first end, gathering means for gathering the filled tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing and for forming a plait-like portion thereto, and a clipping device having a first and a second closing tool both reversibly movable relative to each other between an opened position and a closed position, for applying at least one closure means to the plait-like portion and closing said closure means when the closing tools are in their closed position.
In practice, it is known that, for example in the production of sausage-shaped products, like sausages, the clipping machine may further comprise a feeding unit for feeding flexible suspension elements, like loops, to the clipping unit for being attached to the sausage-shaped product by a clip by means of the first or second closure means, the feeding unit includes a positioning device for positioning the flexible suspension element to be attached to the sausage-shaped product.
For example, a production line for producing sausage-shaped products is known from German laid-open patent specification 10 2006 30 041 829, in which the sausage-shaped products receive a free-flowing filling material, such as sausage meat, sealing compound, granulate or the like in a tubular casing material. This prior art production line contains a clipping machine, in which the casing material stuffed with filling material is portioned into single sausage-shaped products by constricting (gathering) the casing and placing closure clips in the constricted region, wherein at least one flexible suspension element that is fed in synchrony to the clipping machine may be attached to the sausage-shaped product when placing a clip. The suspension elements are formed, for example, by thread loops and lie on a carrier strip which is coated on one side with an adhesive, from which they are pulled off singly in the clipping machine by a lower die (second closing tool) of a clip placement and clip closing machine. In these prior art feeding devices for flexible suspension elements there is a risk, however, that the suspension elements may be ejected from the lower die of the closing tools or from the clip by the impulse that is imparted to them when they are detached from the carrier strip. This leads to the suspension elements not being properly fixed to the sausage-shaped product. Unwanted downtime and lost production are the consequence. The suspension elements twirling about can also catch in other parts of the machinery, which likewise results in additional downtime and lost production.
In order to reduce the above mentioned risk of ejecting the suspension element when being detached from the carrier strip, from U.S. Pat. No. 8,540,555 a feeding device for suspension elements is known, comprising, in the region of the delivery position for the suspension elements where the suspension elements are detached from the carrier strip by the closing tool of the clipping machine, a guiding device (so called holding-down device) arranged above the carrier strip. The guiding device contains a holding-down element which can be laid reversibly upon at least the suspension element located at the delivery position, wherein the holding-down element covers the suspension element at least in portions thereof. Such a guiding device holds down the suspension element that has just been pulled off the carrier strip approximately as long as required until it has been fixed by means of a closure clip to the sausage-shaped product and has been carried out of the clipping zone of the clipping machine. In this way, the suspension element can be reliably prevented from twirling around and catching in other parts of the machinery. However, if small or short suspension elements are to be attached to the product, the moving distance of the of the closing tool pulling the suspension element off the carrier strip may be longer than the length of the suspension element covered by or arranged under the holding down element, so that the suspension element is drawn away from the guiding device before the clip is closed by the closing tools. In this case, the end of the suspension element E opposite to its end picked up in the closing clip is not guided any more before the closing clip is closed, if the relation of length of suspension element E to the moving distance of the second closing tool. Thus, there is still a risk that the suspension element may be subjected to uncontrolled movements and may even jump out of the clip or the closing tool before the clip is closed.